Poll

Lack of set methodology for assessing housing land supply is unhelpful

Date: 19/6/2015

It seems that many authorities are over estimating their five years land supply, according to Planning magazine.

Mike Kiely, Chair of the POS Board, said the absence of of a set methodology is "perhaps unhelpful", although he added that government may have taken this approach owing to different characteristics in different areas. "Calculations are always going to be a source of contention," he added. "These are not scientific processes."

Kiely suggested one way to improve the methodology would be to calculate housing numbers at a higher level, whether by the government or a "regional set-up", but where to deliver homes would remain a decision to be taken at the local level. However, Kiely recognised that that this would be "quite a radical shift for government."